Title: Wintergirls
Author: Laurie Halse Anderson
Summary: Lia isn’t surprised when she hears that her childhood best friend, Cassie, has died. After all, she’s not too far behind: Lia is an anorexic, struggling to quiet the voices that tell her how worthless, ugly and fat she is, all the while fighting the urge to eat. Anything. Lia has been in and out of treatment twice, but Cassie’s death from bulimia-related complications sends her into a downward spiral. Feeling her friend’s presence everywhere, Lia strives to reach her goals: 95, 90, 85 pounds and less. She knows exactly what she is doing, but she doesn’t want to stop until she is like Cassie – a Wintergirl, neither living nor dead.
A devastating look into the mind of a person suffering from a severe eating disorder, this book makes no excuses and doesn’t have any easy answers. This harrowing story will remind you of Anderson’s best: Speak, Catalyst, and Twisted, and will keep you on the edge of your seat.
Who will like this book?: Fans of intense fiction. Like many other books by this author, it is an important story that most mature teen girls should read.
If you like this, try this: You Know Where to Find Me by Rachel Cohn. Cut by Patricia McCormick. Identical by Ellen Hopkins.
Recommended by: Nicole, Teen Librarian